


Ways To Die (In Which Charley Is Tired and Rather Annoyed)

by bravest_person_in_Wonderland



Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (Big Finish Audio)
Genre: ("People" in this case is a certain Edwardian Adventuress), And it's adorable, C'rizz is a sweetie, Eight kissing people out of happiness, F/M, Fluff, No Plot/Plotless, Peter Pan References, The Snark Trio, assumes familiarity with audio 33: Neverland, fite me on this because they just ARE, he and Charley are space sibs, kind of whump, lots of fluff, seriously so much fluff, the Doctor is overprotective
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:01:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23542012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bravest_person_in_Wonderland/pseuds/bravest_person_in_Wonderland
Summary: Just a plotless fic with some light whump to enable the ridiculous amounts of fluff and cuteness.Read: the wholesome content we all need.
Relationships: Eighth Doctor/Charley Pollard
Comments: 4
Kudos: 15





	Ways To Die (In Which Charley Is Tired and Rather Annoyed)

**Author's Note:**

> I've been posting some of my older fics... "older" meaning "since Christmas," because that's actually when I first jumped into the Whoniverse. This was my first Eight/Charley fanfic (because I have A L W A Y S shipped them), which was written directly after listening to Creed of the Kromon (don't hate me but I actually kinda liked it) and meeting C'rizz (who is my sweet precious burnt cinnamon roll lizard child), but it's set sometime post- Terror Firma. It's plotless and kinda random, but [LadyofLothal](/users/LadyofLothal/) told me I should post it anyway, so here I am. Also this note has a lot of parentheses? *yeets fic and hides under covers*

“What, you’re going to dump me in the river while I’m still too weak to fight?” Charley growled at the burly man holding her. Her hands were tied behind her back and if she was being completely honest with herself – something she was trying to avoid – he was the only thing keeping her upright. The truth serum her captors had injected into her had been quite strong stuff. Probably formulated for aliens, or some such.

Either that, Charley thought, or they had purposely given her an overdose. Judging by the fact that she’d blacked out nearly as soon as they dosed her with it, as well as the deep relief she had seen in the Doctor’s eyes when she’d come to, she was banking on the latter. And now they were about to throw her into a river. A _river,_ of all things. Weren’t there more refined ways of executing one’s enemies?

The Doctor and C’rizz were similarly restrained several yards away, though they certainly were having a much easier time standing on their own two feet. C’rizz kept glancing at the guard holding him and giving short, almost experimental tugs, as if to see how much he could get away with. The Doctor stood quietly, his eyes fixed on Charley with a frustration and… and yes, an apology in them that tore at her heartstrings.

She forced a smile past the weakness and tiredness and fear she was feeling and tried to act brave. “It’s alright, boys,” she called to C’rizz and the Doctor. “I suppose this is goodbye then. At least it’s better than what it would have been before,” she added to herself, thinking of the time station and the Neverpeople. “Or is it?” She shook her head. Honestly, talking to herself? That serum must have more side effects than she had thought.

She started to say something else, but a solid shove in between her shoulders sent her headfirst into the swirling water, with no way to keep her head clear. She twisted and struggled and managed to get one short breath, but her restrained hands and the residual effects of the truth serum overdose made it impossible to really swim. As her lungs turned to fire – oh dear, why did she have to think of that analogy? – she wondered if the Doctor had a plan… he had to have… she trusted him…

..............................................

“Charley, _Charley,”_ The Doctor’s voice, close by.

“Doctor, is there anything I should do?” C’rizz, farther away.

“Come, on, Charley, breathe!” The Doctor was pumping her chest. She rolled to her side, coughing and sputtering and oh, air, glorious beautiful _air._ She felt herself pulled into the Doctor’s arms and, oh dear, he really should know better than to do that when she’s already having enough trouble breathing. But, well, she couldn’t deny that the feel of his lips against hers was nice.

“You…” She leaned her head against his chest and tried to give C’rizz – still obviously concerned – a reassuring smile. “You kissed me.”

The Doctor snorted. “I almost lost you,” he said, holding her tighter. Seeing as she was still gasping to catch her breath, she didn’t reply when he added, more quietly, “Again.”

C’rizz knelt beside them and rested a hand on Charley’s arm. “I think we should leave,” he glanced over his shoulder. “Those men, the space-mobsters, they might find us here.”

The Doctor nodded. “Charley, can you walk?”

“I think so,” she replied, letting him help her to her feet. She tried taking a step but her knees wobbled and gave way and she ended up supported by both C’rizz and the Doctor, on either side. The Doctor gave a smile that looked suspiciously like a smirk.

“Looks like we’re doing it this way,” he chuckled, slipping his other arm under Charley’s traitorous knees and scooping her up. She concealed her squeak of surprise in another cough and wrapped her arm around his neck as he started walking.

“I’m not a damsel in distress, you know,” she grumbled, faking a pout. “Tell him, C’rizz.”

“You did nearly fall,” C’rizz began, rather unhelpfully, “You would have, if we hadn’t caught you.”

“Alright, thank you, C’rizz. You’ve been most helpful.”

“But.” The Eutermesian glanced at her over his shoulder. “You don’t seem to be distressed, not really. Just a bit unsteady.”

“So you’re a ‘damsel in unsteadiness,’” the Doctor laughed. “How’s that, Charley? Better than ‘damsel in distress’?”

Charley groaned and shut her eyes. The Doctor was quite warm and comfortable. But then he jostled her and her eyes popped open again, her eyebrows furrowing into a glare.

“You shouldn’t go to sleep.” The teasing tone of a moment before was gone. He continued, “Who knows if that serum is still in your system. I should have something that will help back onboard the TARDIS, if we can ever find her…”

“But Doctor, I’ve just been drowned. Can you blame me for being a little tired?”

“The Doctor is probably right, Charlotte-“

“ _Charley!_ ”

“-you should stay awake.” She could’ve strangled him, honestly. All she wanted was a bit of a nap.

“Fine.” She paused. “But to help me stay awake, you two will have to tell me how you managed to get untied.”

“Ah, that was mostly C’rizz’s doing,” the Doctor told her. “He managed to get his ropes loose and find my pocketknife to cut me free.”

“Yes, and the knife nearly stabbed me in the process. How do you have so much in those pockets? Are they ‘bigger on the inside,’ too?”

Charley smiled drowsily. With the banter between these two, she could easily shove to the back of her mind everything that had just happened. “Remember the time you found a kitten in your pocket?”

....................................................................

A while later, after managing to change into nice cosy pyjamas, she sat on the edge of her bed and let the Doctor satisfy himself that she would, indeed, survive. He handed her a little white tablet and a glass of water.

“Swallow that,” he ordered, “It should kill any remaining toxins in your body.”

She complied. “Now can I _please_ go to bed?” she begged, giving the wonderful soft pillows a glance. “Doctor!” She cried. He had hesitated and looked at her sort of sheepishly. “I’m tired, Doctor. Honestly, don’t you think that a little rest would be good for me after today?”

“I do…”

“But?”

“I’d rather be able to keep an eye on you, just in case.” When she crossed her arms defiantly, he frowned. “You can’t blame me for being a little- alright- overprotective- when you’ve very near died two different ways in the last five hours!”

“I’m fine,” she retorted, though the tone of her voice was distorted by a yawn a second later. And, how lovely, she was coughing again. The yawn produced a twinge deep in her chest that sent her back to just taking shallow, cautious breaths.

“Obviously not.” Despite his sarcasm, the care she could see in the Doctor’s face made Charley soften, and she knew he saw the change – and of course he didn’t miss the opportunity to convince her further. “You can come lie in the library with me while I read, if you like.”

“Will you read to me?” She didn’t know what had made her ask. Maybe exhaustion. Once the words left her mouth, though, they sounded childish and needy.

“Certainly,” the Doctor replied, sounding slightly surprised. “Anything you like.”

“Peter Pan.” She looked in his eyes and knew he understood. An inside joke, she supposed, though it wasn’t really funny. More bittersweet than anything else, really.

“Very well, then.” He offered his arm. She took it and let him guide her down the hall and into the library. But instead of spreading out on the larger sofa near the Doctor’s seat, she curled up beside him on the loveseat as he pulled a green book out of the haphazard pile nearby.

He turned his head to look at her. “Comfortable, then?”

“Very,” she muttered, and snuggled closer. She could hear the steady beating of his hearts, and that combined with the warm tones of his voice as he read – something about stars, and how they weren’t supposed to interfere with earthly matters – lulled her to sleep in mere minutes.

...........................................................................

She knew she was dreaming, she knew it, but it didn’t help much. Didn’t help at all, actually. Everything was burning, metal was crunching and those men still alive were screaming. Why now? She hadn’t had this nightmare in months, why now? She jerked awake with a gasp that made her lungs twinge again, sending her into a paroxysm of coughing.

“Alright, alright,” she heard the Doctor murmur, “I’ve got you. Just breathe.” He rubbed her back, letting her curl into him while she tried to determine whether the tears in her eyes were from coughing, or the nightmare.

She managed to quit coughing and take a shaky breath, then another.

“Bad dream?” the Doctor asked gently, once her breathing had steadied.

“Charlotte, are you alright?” Apparently C’rizz had come in at some point while Charley was asleep. She nodded, trying to put on a brave face.

“I’m going to take your word on that,” the Doctor said, “Though I’m not sure if I believe you.”

“Well,” Charley explained, “I’m with you two, so of course I’m alright. Couldn’t be better, actually,” she added, and it was mostly true. She was where she belonged, and she didn’t mean the Doctor’s arms – though she did naturally feel much safer being this close to him. The TARDIS was her home, whether the sentient ship liked her or not, and the Doctor and C’rizz were her family.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment and/or leave kudos if you like this, I love interacting with the Bigadier community (can y'all believe that's technically what this fandom is called?) 
> 
> (Oh no, more parentheses!!! *becomes a parenthese*)


End file.
